My Journal

Acts 2: 1-21
Father I thank you that i is the same spirit working in and through me as was working through Peter on the day of Pentecost. I ask thqat you would help me submit to your will and plan for my life, that as Holy spirit leads, guides and directs me that I would help others to come to know and love you.

1 Peter 4: 7-11
Fatherthroughout this week I have been thinking about the gifts you have ginen me and the purpose you have given them me for. I ask today that more and more I would recognise the gifts you have given me and help me to use them in your kingdom fior the benefit of others.

1 Cor 14:13-25
Father, once again I thank you for clear teaching regarding Holy Spirit this time in relation to the gift of tongues.
- A private love language used between me and you - with a reminder that I msut keep my mind active whilst praying.
- A corporate language used with interpretation to build up the community and to encourage pre Christian people.
Continue to devlop my understanding I pray.

1 Cor 14: 1-12
Father, thank you for the clear teaching about Holy Spirit here. We should desire spiritual gifts, but not above love. The purpose of gifts is to build up your church. I do thank you for the 3 pictures you have shared withECBC recently and I ask that you would continue to pour out your spirit in ways that builds up the whole church community not just individuals.

1 Cor 12:31b - 13:13
And I will show you a still more excellent way.

The Way of Love
1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith,so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

13So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

In this passage there are numerous answers to the question - what is love. I thank for my study notes that encouraged me to replace the word love with the name Jesus. Doing this works so well and shows me that Jesus is love. For me the challenge comes when I put my name in the place of love. In particular, the self seeking element. I ask that you would help me live a life that brings you glory and not me.

1 Cor 12: 12-31a
Father I thank you that you have created me to be part of your body. That I am designed to live in community and not on my own. I thank you for the benefits - recieving and sharing with others, and the challenges - realising we're not all the same and having to bear with differences, that being part of your body brings. Father I ask that your body here in East Cleveland may function prperly as a whole.

1 Cor 12: 1-11
I thank you Father God this morning for the gift of Holy Spirit. I thank you that he is given as a helper to bind your Church together. In so many cases I hear how churches struggle with understanding and accepting Holy Spirit. Father I pray that you would use Holy Spirit to bring unity and common purpose in your Church, especially in East Clevelnad.

Psalm 47

Over all the earth, You reign on high
Every mountain stream, every sunset sky
But my one request, Lord my only aim
Is that You’d reign in me again

Lord reign in me, reign in Your power
Over all my dreams, in my darkest hour
You are the Lord of all I am
So won’t you reign in me again

Over every thought, over every word
May my life reflect the beauty of my Lord
‘Cause You mean more to me than any earthly thing
So won’t You reign in me again

Lord God, I ask that the truths in these lyrics may be my experience day by day and that I may witness your Kingship being worked out in my life and in my community.

Thank you that I am able to cast all my cares onto you. Thank you that you are interested in every aspect of my life. Regardless of how large or small the issues are Lord, you're interested in them. As a leader you have given me responsibility to care for others too, I pray that I may fulfil my role in a way that points to you and always brings you honour and glory.

John 10:28
"I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish: no-one can snatch them out of my hand."
Thank you for this promise, the security it brings is reassuring. Lord you are jealous about me and that blesses me. You protect me and keep me safe. Thank you that this is an eternal committment from you, not a passing phase. Help me respond accordingly by being fully committed to you.

I thank you Jesus that you have called me into your sheepfold. I thank you too that you laid down your life for me. Lord would you help me to hear, understand and know your voice better than I currently do.

Lord Jesus, thank you that you are not only THE Good Shepherd, but MY Good Shepherd. I thank you that you have laid down your life for me, that you have kept me safe thus far and have promised to do so into eternity. I thank you and appreciate that you do protect me, often without me knowing. Help me know your voice, my Good Shpeherd's and follow the direction you give.

Lord Jesus, thank you that you open blinded eyes. Thank you that you have restored my sight a little, but I long to see you more clearly, would you continue to restore my spiritual sight. Lord I pray for my friends and colleagues who are spiritually blind and ask that through a combination of your divine intervention and by whatthey see in me you would start to restore their sight.

Lord I ask that you would help my confidence in you grow, so that when opportunities present themselves, I might have bold and wise words to explain the hope I have in you. Help me also to explain with gentlenesss nad respect.

A reflection on Psalm 139
You are the all-seeing God who knows me.
Help me to know myself that I maight walk in your will.
You are the all-present God who surrounds me.
Help me always to be aware of your support, guidance and comfort.
You are the all-powerful God who made me.
Thank you that you know fully how my body works, keep it well I pray.
You are the all-holy God who tests me.
Thank you Lord that your testing is not to trip me up but to help me move on in my faith. Would you help me Father become more like Jesus so that I might have a positive impact in your kingdom and in your world.

Jesus, you are the light of the world. I thank you that you want to shine your light through me. I am aware of the power I have to be a dimmer switch, help me to let your light fully flow through me rather than trying to restrict, limit or dim it. Your are the source of light, help me be a conduit.

Lord Jesus you mean everything to me, I can't imagine or comprehend life without you. You are becoming as important to me as the air I breathe. I thank you that your love for me is constant and that you are available to me at all times, in all places and in all situations. I ask Lord for opportunities to share this confidence I have in you.

Lord Jesus I thank you that I have my story to tell, my experience of you that no-one can deny. Lord you have healed me, you have spoken to me through your word, you have developed empathy within me and you have been a constant presence in my study of your word. Help me always be ready to share my exoerience of you with those who need to hear.

Lord Jesus, I thank you that you are much more than a good man or even a great teacher. You are the son of God and therefore are God, an integral part of the trinity. Would you help me Lord to convey this to people I meet who accept God for who he is, but do not see the connection with who you are.

'Like Father, like son!' In so many ways I am like my dad. I look like him, I sound like him, we have a similar sense of humour and generosity. I am reminded this morning that I am also a child of God and I ask of you Father God that you would develop in me more of your character, in particular, more love, more compasssion and more wisdom.

Jesus you are the light of the world. I thank you that light dispells any darkness. I ask that you would continually light my journey that I may walk only where you want me to go.

Light of the word,
You stepped down into darkness,
Opened my eyes, let me see.
Beauty that made
This heart adore you,
Hope of a life spent with you.

So here I am to worship,
Here I am to bow down,
Here I am to say that you’re my God:
You’re altogether lovely,
Altogether worthy,
Altogether wonderful to me.

King of all days.
Oh, so highly exalted,
Glorious in heaven above,
Humbly you came
To the earth you created,
All for love’s sake became poor.

So here I am to worship,
Here I am to bow down,
Here I am to say that you’re my God:
You’re altogether lovely,
Altogether worthy,
Altogether wonderful to me.

I’ll never know how much it cost
To see my sin upon that cross
(repeat)

Close
Ongoing
Merciful
Friend
Orederly
Reassurance
Trust
Encourager
Relaible
I thank you that in thes past few weeks you have been a comforter in my time of distress and uncertainty.

Father we will spend time on the things that are important to us. When I look at the inventory of my time spent during a normal week I am encouraged by the regular devotional time I spend with you. My ongoing desire is to becomme more aware of your presence with me throughout each and every moment of each and every day. I thank you that in the quiet I hear you speak. I pray that I may do so in the hustle and bustle of every day life too.

Father I realise that because of my worldly status and my openness about my faith, people do look at my actions more closely. I pray that you would help me in every situation rely upon you for strength and guidance. Would you also help me to give you the glory through the words that come from my mouth and the actions that I do. So that others may know you more and be challenged further by you.

Father as I conclude my study of 2 Kings today I reflect upon how I have struggled to understand some of the meaning and teaching in the accounts recorded. I have learnt though that -
- You are a God who speaks to his people
- Many world rulers struggle to follow your way
- There is always consequence for worng doing
Help me Father to know these truths in my life I pray.

Lord again I am impressed by Josiah, not this time about his integrity but about his passion. Lord he knew you through your word and through expereince and was passionate about you being glorified. Lord I am passionate about you and I ask that you would show me and help me glorify you more and more each day, that you might help me turn my passion into action, that I too may bring you glory as I seek to let you be the centre of my life.

Lord, I thank you today for the account I have read regarding Josiah. A ruler of integrity who did what was right in your eyes. As the temple is restored, your word is found and speaks plainly about the consequence of wrong doing. Lord, your word to me is a guidebook, please continue to develop my study of itand through it I pray you would deepen my relationship with you.

Father would you help me to contribute to the positive work of my natural and spiritual forefathers. Will you help me act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with you. Help me Father not to undo the good work of others but contribute to it so that I may see your Kingdom advance.

Father I do want to thank you that you are the God of second chancecs. Lord when I mess up, you are there but I am also reminded that you won't tolerate disobedience and sin that grieves you. Lord you gave Hezikiah a second chance by ordering him to put his house in oreder. Lord would you soeak to me about similar situations in my life.

Lord it is so easy to forget about your expectations and your judgement. I have been reminded this morning that I shouldn't judge myself by the worlds standards but by yours. The world looks at the outward appearance, you look at the heart. Lord would you help me reflect on every aspect of my life and realign areas that currently do not bring you pleasure. In particular I would ask for more humility that I may give you the glory rather than taking it for myself.

Father I thank you that people trust me. I am trusted as a dad, a husband, a friend and a work colleague. It is a wonderful thing to be trusted, help me never to abuse this privilege. Lord God you are completely trustworthy, as I long to be more like Jesus, I ask that you would help me trust you at all times.

Father God you really do have the whole world in your hands. You cause Nations and rulers to rise and fall. Lord God as I look at your world I am often confused about what you let happen and why. Lord would you give me a clearer understanding of what it is you are doing with these people and indeed people throughout your world.